Chapter 22
Impulsive
I slept and woke up with a smile on my face. Memories from last night prevented me to stop smiling. I hugged my blanket and drowned myself on it.
Everything just seems so perfect, especially when Jace is finally my boyfriend.
This is it, Zarina! Your dreams finally came true. It might not be a good start, and it might also be not a good end in the future, but hey, your dreams still became a reality.
My phone suddenly rang. I reached for my phone on the top of the lamp desk and saw Jace was calling me. As I was still in awe, looking at his name flashed on my screen as the incoming caller, the ring stopped. He sent me a message right away.
From: Jace
Answer the call, please.
Good thing I was able to read his message before he called again. Well, he didn't have to tell me because I was even planning to call him if he wouldn't call again.
Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi bago sinagot ang tawag ni Jace at itinapat sa aking tainga ang cell phone upang marinig ko ang kanyang boses.
"Hello..." Mahina ang aking tinig dahil pagpipigil ng kilig.
"Good morning, girlfriend..." he greeted me with a raspy voice, indicating that maybe he just woke up like me.
Napangiti naman ako at pumikit ng mariin habang pinipigilan ang sarili.
He chuckled at my silence. "Can't believe that I finally have a girlfriend..."
Inilayo ko naman ng bahagya ang cell phone sa akin bago huminga ng malalim para makasagot sa kanya. I can't just be silent throughout the whole call, but I needed to keep my composure first.
"Are you happy that you finally got yourself a girlfriend?" I asked him.
"As long as my girlfriend's happy then, I'm happy..." he said.
I thought I stopped breathing for a moment because of his answer. Pakiramdam ko'y hindi ako makahinga ng maayos. He was figuratively and, somehow, literally taking my breath away.
"Sa tingin mo ba, masaya ang girlfriend mo?" sunod kong tanong sa kanya.
"Well, she better be..." he said conceitedly, and I frowned.
Ang yabang! Palibahasa ay alam niyang gwapo siya at mahal ko siya.
"And she also should be done preparing for work within an hour and thirty because I'm coming to pick her up and drive her to work."
Napabangon naman ako sa kama nang wala sa oras. Palihim kong binilang sa aking isipan kung gaano ba akong katagal na maligo. Tamang-tama lang naman siguro ang binigay niyang oras sa akin.
"Give me thirty minutes more," I tried to bargain.
"Okay..." He laughed. "See you later. I love you," he bid before ending the call.
I idled and just wasted most of the thirty minutes spare that I asked him because of those three words he told me before ending the call. His voice was like trapped in a cage inside my mind that made his words echoed all over again. Hindi rin naman ako magrereklamo dahil kahit paulit-ulit ko itong marinig ay alam kong ganoon pa rin ang magiging epekto sa akin.
"It seems like my daughter's in a very good mood today." My dad chuckled when he saw me entered the dining room. "I guess it's because of something that happened last night. Hmm..."
I just chuckled and kissed him on his cheek. "Good morning, dad."
"A very good morning, indeed," he nodded.
Mabilis akong kumuha ng aking pagkain bago sumulyap sa aking wrist watch. I still have twenty minutes left to eat.
"Mukhang nagmamadali ang anak ko, ah..." sabi naman ni daddy.
Nilingon ko naman siya at saka ngumiti. "Susunduin po ako ni Jace," sabi ko bago napalingon sa bakanteng pwesto ni mommy. "Where's mom, dad? Hindi siya ulit sasabay magbreakfast?"
"Your mom has a breakfast meeting with her friend..." he said and trailed.
Tahimik akong kumain dahil mukhang kilala ko na kung sino ang friend ni mommy na tinutukoy ni daddy. I just hoped that whatever they're talking about wasn't about my future with Dylan. Pero kung iyon man ang pinag-uusapan nila, maiging sabihin ko na kay mommy ang totoong estado ng relasyon namin ni Jace.
"Zarina, nandito ang boypren mo," biglang sabi ni Manang nang pumasok sa kusina. "Aba'y may boypren ka pala!"
Halos mabulunan naman ako bago sumulyap kay daddy na nakataas ang kilay habang nakatingin sa akin. Tingin pa lang ni daddy ay alam kong gusto na niya akong magpaliwanag.
I was about to explain after drinking water when I heard Jace's voice.
"Good morning po," magalang niyang pagbati.
Averting my gaze to look at him, his eyes travelled to me and smiled.
"You're not yet done eating?" he asked me.
Hilaw naman akong ngumiti sa kanya at umiling saka binalingan ang aking pagkain. Kaunti na lang naman at matatapos na ako. And besides, he was ten minutes early!
"So... I didn't know that my daughter has a boyfriend already, and I wasn't expecting that it would be you as well, Jace," Dad suddenly started the conversation.
Ang akala ko'y sa akin kampi si daddy pero sa tingin ko ay kay Jace siya kampi at hindi sa akin.
Sumulyap ako kay Jace na ngayo'y masama ang tingin sa akin. Muli na naman siyang nagsungit. Ang tagal ko nang hindi nakita na nagsusungit siya. I kinda missed it. Pero ayoko namang sungitan niya ako.
"Hindi niya pa po pala sinasabi sa inyo..." sabi naman ni Jace kay daddy.
"Dad, sasabihin ko naman po pero gusto ko po kasama si Jace kapag sinabi ko," katwiran ko.
"Okay..." sabi na lang ni daddy at saka tumatango-tango ngunit mukhang hindi pa siya kuntento roon.
Well, since Jace's already here. I guess I can tell him that we're officially together.
Tumayo ako sa aking kinauupuan at pinuntahan si Jace na nakauha pa akong irapan. Napakasungit talaga ng lalaking 'to! Kung hindi ko lang talaga 'to mahal, hindi ko 'to matitiis.
I grabbed his hand and walked closer to my father who was amused while watching us.
"Dad, this is Jace. Boyfriend ko na po siya," pakilala ko kay Jace bilang aking boyfriend. "Sinagot ko na po siya kagabi."
Dad pursed his lips and crossed his arms while he kept his stare on me and Jace.
"Well... you know very well that I like you for my daughter, Jace," Dad told Jace. "And I will be the happiest father if my daughter will end up spending her whole life with you because I know that she'll also be the happiest woman in the world."
Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi.
Si daddy naman, e! Kung makapagsalita ay akala mong nagpapaalam na kaming magpakasal. We were just in the girlfriend-boyfriend relationship. I knew that there's still a long way to go for the both of us.
"I guess I'll also be the happiest man once it happens..." Jace said without inhibitions.
Napaawang ang aking bibig at saka tumingin sa kanya na mukhang walang pinagsisisihan sa sinabi. Para bang siguradong-sigurado siya sa binitiwang salita.
Did he know what my dad meant for him to agree?
Sana akin ka na lang talaga hanggang sa dulo, Jace. Sana hindi na matapos itong sinimulan nating dalawa. Sana ay may salitang tayo hanggang sa huli. Sana pagbigyan ako ng tadhana na maging sobrang saya. Sana hindi niya na bawiin sa akin ang kasiyahan na 'to. Sana'y hindi ko na kailangan pang pagbayaran pa.
"Pasensya ka na kay daddy, ah?" paghingi ko nang paumanhin sa kanya nang makasakay kami sa kanyang sasakyan.
His forehead creased and glanced at me before he fixed his eyes back on the road. "For what?"
"Sa mga sinabi niya kanina..." sabi ko na lang.
"You don't have to be sorry about anything. He just said what he intended to say as your father," he defended my father.
"Alam ko... Naiintindihan ko..." sabi ko naman. "I just don't want you to feel pressured because of his words that will also make you say words that you don't really mean."
"What do you mean by that?" Nag-iba ang timpla ng kanyang boses at muli akong sinulyapan ng tingin.
Bumuntong hininga naman ako at saka tumingin sa labas kung saang saktong may nadaanan kaming simbahan.
"My dad's clearly talking about marriage earlier," I told him. "Kakasimula pa lang natin at ayokong ma-pressure ka dahil iyon na ang mga sinasabi ni daddy."
"Zarina, I know what he was pertaining to," he said. "And I meant what I said!"
Gulat naman akong napatingin sa kanya. Hindi ko inaasahan ang kanyang sinabi. It was all too much for me to take and process.
"When I asked you to be my girlfriend, and when you finally said yes, I have no plans on ending our relationship except for taking it to the next level. I didn't ask you to be mine if I'm just gonna let you go," he told me. "Don't tell me I'm the only one who thinks of spending the rest of my life with you?"
My eyes were being invaded by tears again.
Siguro ay natatakot lang talaga ako, pero mas nangingibabaw ang kasiyahan ko.
"You don't know how long I've dreamt for that to happen, Jace..." sabi ko naman. "Iyong makasal sa'yo at maging asawa mo. Simula pa ata no'ng high school tayo ay may ganyang pag-iisip na ako. I always daydream getting married to you. Hindi pa rin 'yon nagbabago hanggang ngayon."
"Well, you can start practicing to stop dreaming about it because it'll come true soon," he said with no hesitation.
I nodded and smiled at him.
His free hand reached for my face to wipe the tears that unconsciously fell on my cheek. He smiled and let his hand fall on mine. Hinawakan niya ito nang mahigpit bago idinala sa kanyang mga labi upang halikan.
"Kayo na?" Hindi makapaniwalang paninigurado ni Abrielle. "As in officially together?"
I nodded and smiled at her. "Totoong-totoo na 'to, Elle. Kami na!"
I called Abrielle for a video call to tell her about Jace and I since she was busy with work.
"Kailan pa? Bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi sa akin?" tanong niya at may bahid nang pagtatampo.
"Last night..." I answered. "Kaya nga sinasabi ko na sa'yo ngayon. Hindi na ako makapaghintay na magkita tayo."
"Well, we really need to meet, Zarina. Iku-kwento mo sa akin ang buong pangyayari at kailangang sa personal natin 'to pag-usapan. I'm so free tomorrow so, dinner?" pag-aya niya sa akin.
Tumango ako. "Sige, bukas."
"Okay. Sumaglit lang ako. Babalik na ako sa trabaho. Just text me," sabi niya naman.
Sa tingin ko'y hindi na kayang mapinta ang kasiyahan sa aking mukha nang matapos ang aking pakikipag-usap kay Abrielle. Napataas naman ang kilay ko nang bigla kong makita ang group chat na ginawa ng mga kaibigan ko sa New York. There were new unread messages so, I decided to check on it.
Austin's message was the first message I read when I opened the group chat which was intended for me to read.
Troy Austin:
Hey, Za! We already booked our roundtrip tickets going to Manila and back to New York in the next three days. We'll stay in the Philippines for a week. You're in charge for our itinerary there. Surprise us, please!
Nabigla naman ako sa sobrang biglaan ng kanilang pagbabakasyon dito. I thought it won't happen 'til next month. Talagang nakapagbook na sila ng tickets. Just look at my impulsive friends. Wala na talagang makakapigil sa kanila.
But even though they were very impulsive, I love them so much because I know that they really miss me.
Zarina Cashe:
You guys are amazing for surprising me like this! Will do work on what I'm in charge of. Did you also book a hotel already? You can stay at our house, if you haven't so don't bother. See you soon!
Well, the girls love shopping so much so I'm gonna schedule a day for them to visit the bazaar. The boys can also buy shoes there. And then, I thinking of having an Ilocos tour with them. I bet they'll love it.
I can also bring Jace with us. Ipapakilala ko siya sa mga kaibigan ko. My closest friend, Monique, already knows him through my stories, but my other friends have no idea.
I can't wait for them to meet Jace. I think it'll be quite interesting.